Dirty Diana by Andrea Smith

Author:Andrea Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: crime fiction; coming of age, Con Artists; Hoaxes & Deceptions
Publisher: Andrea Smith
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

I read the note twice, struggling through the messy scrawl, then pushed the paper back towards Edna.

“I have no idea what this means,” I lied. Edna stared back at me, unblinking.

“Diana,” she said gently, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fucking sure,” I snapped. Edna’s already pursed lips nearly disappeared.

She folded the note back up and slipped it back inside the drawer with a slow exhale.

“Be that as it may, the contents of this letter are still incredibly disturbing. Furthermore, the nature of the threats makes me concerned for your safety and the safety of the other residents at this facility.”

“It’s probably nothing,” I said, with a dismissive wave of my hand, “Some sort of weird prank by some kids.”

“That’s possible,” Edna replied, nodding her head slowly, “But I still think it’s best if you speak to the police.”

“No,” I said quickly. Memories of police interviews flashed back to me. Being asked the same questions over and over by toad-faced cops as I sat in the hospital bed, the beeping of my heart monitor counting off the endless seconds. Talking to the police was the last thing I wanted to do, especially when it meant revealing my identity as the mystery whore who banged the county commissioner. There was no damn way.

“I’m afraid it’s non-negotiable,” Edna said firmly. “It doesn’t have to be today, but you’ll need to inform them of this eventually. Whether or not it’s a prank, the author of this note has threatened you directly.”

“What if I say no?” I asked, crossing my arms across my chest and leaning back in my chair indignantly.

“Well,” Edna said, the melodic quality of her voice evaporating, “I’m afraid that you won’t be able to stay here if your presence could mean danger for the other residents. I'm responsible for securing everyone's safety who resides here.”

“And where would I go?” I asked, alarmed by the panic in my own voice. I was never scared, only angry, but now I was beginning to feel fear creep over me.

So far, my master plan had brought me no closer to DastardlyDamned. If anything, I realized with a sinking feeling, it had only put a target on my back. It had seemed like such an act of nefarious genius in my head, but in the few days since I’d sent those DVDs, things had only become more complicated. Here I sat, now at risk of being booted from the group home. Would that mean I would be sent to jail for some sort of probation violation? And what about Julian? A wave of nausea washed over me like a rolling tide. I felt light-headed and nearly doubled over.

“Fine,” I spat. “I’ll talk to the damn cops if that’s what it takes. Just don’t kick me out, okay? I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Edna’s face softened.

“I’ll give you some time but not much,” she said. “I’m very sorry about this, Diana. I know it must be very frightening.”

She put her hand gently on my shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze, but I quickly pulled away.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.